Grade
K

Math in Our World: Laundry Fun

Hayden and Charlotte have laundry to put away. 4 shorts. 1 dress. 5 shirts. 3 pajamas. And 2 pants.

Hayden and Charlotte help to fold, sort, and put away their laundry each week. We try to make this chore more fun by turning it into a game. We lay out each type of clothing in a line, then race to pick it up and put it away.

  1. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
  2. Use pictures, numbers, or words to show what is happening.
  3. What math questions can you ask about the picture? Answer all the questions that you can!
  • Use your fingers to show how many items of clothing are in each line.
  • Draw a picture to show how the clothes are sorted. Count the number of clothing items in each line.
  • How many ways can you sort the clothes? By color? By pattern?
  • Show your work to someone else, and explain your thinking. Did they understand?
  • Ask whether they have any other questions you can answer!

Next time your family does laundry, sort the clothes into categories by type. How many categories are there? Which category has the most? Which has the fewest? Is it different for each person in your home?